Understanding
by Twisted Skys
Summary: The story that Wan gave Korra was the heavily abbreviated version. Absent was the emotional turmoil, the weight of his task, and the aftermath. Raava was always there, and perhaps that made it easier, but it made his journey no less long.
1. Limits

His head lulled forward and his chin hit his chest. With a jolt, his head snapped back up and his eyes wide open. He was okay, he was awake. Mula had slowed to a mundane pace, her head drooping low to the ground. Raava was a few paces ahead of them, her body still upright like she never grew tired.

Wan rubbed his eyes, stifling a yawn. The sun was just kissing the horizon, the sky turning orange. "Hey Raava, I think we should stop for the night."

The light spirit turned her form slightly to look back at them, scoffing gently. Wan ignored her, already feeling the argument coming even before it started. He dismounted Mula, who lifted her head to look at him gratefully. He unstrapped the bag tied to her rump and lifted it off when he felt Raava move closer.

"Humans are so weak." The disdain in her voice was painfully evident.

He looked over at her, squashing his first instinct to defend his kind. He knew humans were weak, there was no point in trying to convince this infinitely wiser being of an untruth. "Oh come on, spirits get tired too." He gestured to Mula. "Besides, she's the one that really needs the rest."

"Yes, from carrying your heavy body around all day. I would be tired, too."

Wan laughed, scratching Mula's neck affectionately. "She doesn't mind most of the time."

Raava scoffed and moved away, settling a few feet away. "At this rate, we'll never reach the koi in time."

Wan brushed down Mula's fur where he usually rested on her back, scratching vigorously in intermittent intervals. "Calm down, we'll be there in two days."

"We are running out of time and you haven't been practicing much."

He sighed, feeling his patience starting to thin. "That's because we've been running ourselves into the ground trying to get to the koi," he tried to keep his voice even but there was still a note of sardonic sarcasm leaking in.

Raava seemed completely unperturbed. "We should keep going, nevertheless. But because of your ridiculous human weakness, we are stuck stopping every time you feel the urge to yawn. You just another selfish, lazy human and I am wasting my time with you."

His heart stung. It seemed like he was always a waste of time, or messing something up, or just plain wrong. He looked down at the fur on Mula's back, thinking about the exhaustion in his bones. Raava was probably right. Everyday they spent traveling was a day they did not spend practicing. He would sleep later, when this was all over.

"Fine," he said, his voice quiet and calm. "We'll keep going."

Mula gave him a distasteful look when he went to pick up the pack. Wan apologized quietly as he strapped it back onto her, but opted not to mount her. He would walk.

Raava was watching him silently. He turned to her, watching back. "Well?"

She seemed surprised to have gotten her way, almost like she was expecting to fight with him all evening. She'd done this before, where she snapped and griped about how humans were weak. She'd never called him a waste of time before and for some reason that sat on Wan like a weight.

"Lead the way," she told her, fighting to keep his anger in check and his voice neutral.

She did, marching ahead of them like she always did. Mula nudged his shoulder with her nose and he fell back to rest his arm across her back. "I know girl, but we don't have the luxury of wasting time anymore."

They walked through the night and through a good portion of the morning before Raava finally stopped, as if realizing something. "You haven't eaten since yesterday," she stated matter-o-factly.

Wan had fallen into a stupor, with one arm draped heavily across Mula's back, he'd been watching his feet, counting his steps for a while now. Mula stopped when Raava had stopped and the sudden loss of his support nearly tripped him. He corrected himself, standing straighter and focusing his fuzzy vision on the light spirit. "What?"

She turned to regard him. "You haven't eaten," she repeated.

Any sense of patience that he usually had was gone. His brows furrowed and he frowned at her. "Thank you for telling me, I hadn't noticed," he snapped sarcastically. "I can eat when we reach the koi; we're only a few hours away."

She was quiet for a moment, as if thinking. Then, she settled closer to the ground. "No, we'll camp here for a while. You can rest and eat, now."

He looked at her and his eye twitched. "Oh why thank you great benevolent tyrant!" He waved his arms in the air and marched off into the trees. He didn't have much food in his bag anymore so he'd have to find some before he could eat it. At this point he couldn't care for food, but he knew that Mula would appreciate some fruit, and since she'd been putting up with their shenanigans too, he might as well feed them both.

His usual grace was lost and he tromped through the leaves and vines like an elephant-turtle. He knew that if walked far enough he would find a fruit tree. He could feel Raava following behind. "Go back to Mula, I don't need you here."

"You are angry with me. Why?"

"I'm not angry," he refused to look at her but no matter how much he tried he couldn't relax his shoulders.

He found his tree, but his luck was not good today. All the fruit was far above his head, way out of reach. Raava had fallen quiet, as if waiting for him to answer the question he refused to. He looked over at her. "I need air," he said.

"Why are you angry?"

He sighed. He really wasn't that angry. He was just tired and hungry and in no mood for an interrogation. Her words from yesterday still hung on him. "I'm not angry," he said softly. "Now please give me the air."

She rose off the ground a little and started toward him. He set his shoulders and closed his eyes, preparing him for the surge of energy and rush of light. After a few seconds, nothing happened. He opened one eye, finding that Raava had flown very close to his face and seemed to be watching him. He made a noise of surprise and took a halting step backwards so that she wasn't so close.

"You look pale," she stated.

Wan threw his arms in the air, making an irritated noise. "Whatever. I'll do it myself." He turned to climb the tree but a band of light wrapped around his upper arm.

"I think Vaatu is getting to you." She tugged him closer to her, off-balancing him.

Wan grunted and yanked his arm free, feeling the anger that had been simmering just under the surface finally come to a head. "It's not Vaatu, it's you!" he shouted. "You know, for the spirit of light and peace and everything that is nice, you sure are selfish. I'm sorry for being a human, okay! There isn't anything I can do about that. I'm sorry for screwing up, but at least I'm trying to _fix_ my mistakes. I'm sorry I'm such a _waste_ of your time. I'm trying to be useful, but do you how hard it is to do anything when I'm dropping of exhaustion. I'm only human and no matter how hard I try to be more, I can't! I have limits!"

His rant left him winded and Raava struck into silence. He took a shaky breath, his shoulders slumping. He ran a trembling hand through his hair and tried to gather his composure.

There was a long silence between them. "I'm sorry," he said quietly. He was sorry for his outburst, but not sorry for what he had said. He knew that Raava was aware of that.

He turned to climb the tree but once again a band of light resting gently on his shoulders stopped him. "Go back and rest with Mula, I will gather fruit for you."

"Oh come on, Raava. You don't need to be like that, I'll do it."

"I'm not being passive-aggressive." She sounded indignant, but her voice also seemed to carry a note guilt with it. "I mean that you should go rest because I pushed you and I will make it up to you by doing this task."

He turned around to look at her but didn't brush the band off his shoulder. "No, really, you don't have to," he insisted.

She lifted herself farther off the ground, towering over him for a second. "I said go back and rest," she commanded firmly.

Wan ducked his head at her tone, putting his hands up in surrender. "Alright, alright!"

He walked back through the forest to the clearing that they had left Mula. The deer-cat was already lying in the grass, asleep. Wan unstrapped her pack and pulled it out from under her. She didn't even stir. He smiled and settled down against her belly, pressing his face into her fur.

Raava returned some time later to find her two mortal companions asleep in the noonday sun. She piled the fruit up beside them and settled close by to watch over them.

* * *

_Woops, I did a thing. I'm so sorry. This is pretty terrible but I'm still trying to get feel for the characters and I realized that there wasn't a lot of Wan Fiction yet. So here. I'm sorry. I tried. Wan is hard and so is Raava, because he changes so much in such a short time that it's hard to really pinpoint his character._

_Anyway, I get the feeling that Wan and Raava don't get along in the beginning, but they slowly come to an understanding, and eventual friendship. I don't really ship them, and I don't really like human!Raava, but if you would like to see something, please feel free to request it and I will try my best._


	2. Bruises

Raava was off doing spirit of light activities and Wan could not bring himself to care all that much at the moment. He had gotten over the fact that sometimes Raava disappeared for days at a time and wouldn't tell him, because she always came back. He usually spent the time practicing whatever element she had left him with, or traveling to where ever they were going.

He had learned everything the Koi had to teach him so now he just practiced. It was getting easier and easier. He was discovering that the same forms tended to travel over to different elements and at first that had been weird for him. His mistake was that he had been trying too hard to keep each element separate when really they were all the same thing. They were all an extension of his body. The whole separation was just an illusion.

Realizing that had been the day that water bending had become suddenly less about splashing water around and more about letting it flow. He could not tell why he had ever thought they was any difference.

He sat lay in the sparse grass, the sun setting behind his head. Mula had her body pressed against his, her head so close that he could feel her breath ruffling his hair. He knew she was worried about him.

A few hours ago he had gone down to the small lake deeper in the valley and scared the living daylights out of a bunch of spirits there. At first they had just been frightened by his appearance, but Vaatu must have been nearby or maybe he just had enough influence now that it was enough to start turning spirits violent and dark.

The fight had been short and brutal and if Mula had not run to his rescue, Wan was not sure if he would have made it. One of them had whips for arms and another was like a huge black borcupine with a grudge to settle. It had taken him this long to patch himself up and now he just wanted to lay in the dusty grass and sleep off his wounds. Mula would wake him if there was trouble.

He felt that he should be more concerned that simply being startled at his presence had turned them all violent so quickly but at that moment, without Raava there to tell, he was just tired and sore.

Mula licked his forehead and he got the impression that she was trying to keep him awake. He had bled a lot but he didn't think that he was in danger of dying if he just fell asleep. He waved her away with a sluggish arm that only really succeeded in lifting and falling awkwardly on Mula's neck.

She shifted closer and gave his forehead another lick.

"C'mon girl, knock it off. I'm fine. Let me sleep."

"You are hurt." The deep resonating voice of Raava scared whatever drowsiness away.

He jumped, sitting up too quickly to find the source of her voice. He hissed, clutching his side. "No no, I'm fine." He knew that it was far from convincing but he wasn't willing to give her an excuse to call him weak. She had finally stopped and he really didn't want her to start up again.

"What did this to you?"

He brushed the question off, not deeming it answerable. He knew she already had the answer and was mostly asking because Wan had a tendency to be completely unpredictable with his antics and resulting injuries. "Where'd you go?" he asked instead.

She was quiet for a span and he could feel her watching him. It was as if a breath had been released suddenly. She lowered herself closer to the ground and moved closer to her two mortal companions. A white band reached toward where the edge of his bandage peeked out of the top of his tunic. She paused, almost as if asking for his permission. When he did not move, the band rested on his chest just over his heart.

It was like channeling electricity but it only lasted a moment. Like a quick buzz that tingled through his body, over his skin and up his scalp. He shuddered, the hairs on his neck and arms standing on edge. She shifted her body and moved the band away. It took Wan a second to catch on and when he did he could not quite help the swelling of warmth in his heart. She had been checking the injury to see how serious it was. She was _concerned_ for him. It almost made him smile, but he resisted, knowing that she would want to know what he was all smitten about.

She settled close by, folding her bands near her body and Wan knew that they would not be moving for the time being. He could not have been more grateful if he tried.

The sun had set and with it gone, a chill had come into the air. It had yet to bother him, but regardless he pulled the blanket from Mula's pack and draped it over his legs. Mula shifted as well, seeing her companion settling in for the night. She moved so that when Wan leaned back he was leaning against her body. She curled protectively around him and laid her head in reach of his hand in hopes that he would pet her. Of course he obliged.

He closed his eyes for a moment, resting against the warmth at his back and the calming presence of the light spirit to his right.

"You never answered my question," he said after a moment, getting bored with the silence.

She turned to face him more. "Neither did you," she replied flatly.

Wan actually laughed, which hurt, but he did not care. Those rare moments when Raava showed that she might have a sense of humor buried beneath that righteous image she enjoyed portraying was practically what made their rocky relationship worth all the trouble. Well, aside from the whole bending thing, anyway.

"Yeah, but you already know the answer, so why should I have to say it," he reasoned.

"I think all the injuries you manage to sustain are from dark spirits but last time you surprised me by falling out a tree, and the time before that you hit yourself with a rock."

Wan frowned. She had to bring that up again, didn't she? "Hey, it was my first time, I wasn't expecting it to bounce off the tree."

"Regardless, I have come to expect to be surprised by whatever mess you manage to get yourself into when I am not looking." There was a note of finality that almost made Wan laugh again.

"Sorry to be predictable and boring, then. It was dark spirits."

She hummed. "I was afraid of that. At least it makes more sense than my previous theory."

Wan's eyebrows raised. "Previous theory?"

"You'd gotten into a fight with a borcupine."

"Close," Wan laughed. "He looked like one, except bigger and meaner. Now, I answered your question, you answer mine."

She paused again and shifted her body in a way that made him feel that she was watching him very closely. Then, she sighed. "Very well then. I was searching advice from an old friend."

"Oh, what kind of advice?"

"On how to deal with humans," she replied with a sardonic note in her voice.

Wan pouted to try and hide the grin that threatened to form. He knew it was not quite that effective. "Finding me hard to handle, Raava?"

"Nearly impossible," she replied, but Wan got the feeling that behind her serious tone she was actually joking with him.

"Nah," he laughed. "It'll get easier."

She shifted. "Curious. He said the same thing."

Wan grinned, lowering himself down against Mula's belly turning so that he laid on his good side and was able to scratch Mula's head more easily. It was the signal that the conversation was over. He was tired and while having a pleasant and faintly amusing conversation with Raava was nice, he wanted to sleep.

There was silence for several minutes after, Wan with his eyes closed and Raava seeming to meditate in silence. "Hey Raava," he said groggily.

She hummed, moving herself closer to him so he would not have to speak so loudly.

He had a question in his mind, one that burned inside him so often but he always felt afraid of the answer. "Do you like-" _Me? Am I your friend?_ "Mula?"

Raava paused and Wan got the feeling that she was watching him again. He felt a band near his face and closed his eyes against the light it gave off. A moment later and the blanket around his waist was being pulled up to his shoulders.

He fell asleep before Raava could puzzle out what he was really asking and his inability to ask it. Regardless, she spent most of the night trying to figure out the careful nuances of human emotion and wondering how such small and short lived creatures could feel so many different things in a single moment.

* * *

_I have so many of these stupid ideas. And it's not just Wan anymore! Korra is trying really hard to pry her brash little nose into this affair._

_It has come to my attention that composer and composure are in fact two different words with two entirely unrelated meanings and I apologize for my various English language hiccups. I will fix them asap, because they are seriously embarrassing. I can't believe I missed those typos! Yuck!_

_Also, I think my Wan is getting better. Slowly. And Raava is very confused by human emotions, which will likely come in again. And then again after that because confused Raava is so frikken cute! I'm afraid this might be the beginning of the November write-fest in which I go crazy with a lot of stupid drabbles and one-shots that insist on being connected with each other because fuck propriety._

_I hoped you enjoyed, and a massive thank you to CaelumBlue because long, detailed reviews make this wretched hobby all the more worth it. You are so sweet, thank you very much, darling!_


	3. Loneliness

_Sorry this took so long. November is a busy month for me. A great many thanks to all the people that reviewed. You guys are so awesome!_

* * *

She was beautiful. Her eyes were the color of the cloudless morning sky. Her skin was the color of worn earth and flawless like fine china. She walked with the grace of a huntress, but saw the world with the wonder and innocence of a child. She was pure; she was beautiful. Wan knew nothing about her but found himself wanting to know everything.

There was a net full of fish slung over her shoulder. She walked down the path that followed a small creek toward her turtle with such confidence that you would think she had been born out in the wilds. Wan felt like a creep watching her from the trees, using airbending to lift himself from branch to branch in hopes of following her.

She was humming a quiet and peaceful tune that Wan had never heard before. She belonged to a water turtle that that he had never been to. He was in need of supplies that could only be found in the cities, like thread to patch up his clothes, something to wrap his arms with as he headed farther north, perhaps a scarf of some sort to keep him warm.

He could see the mound that was the back of the turtle in the distance. He could start to make out the buildings he knew were there. Raava and Mula were back in the woods some distance. Neither of them were overly fond of going into cities. Raava had given him a day to go to the city, find what he needed, and return. Wan figured that was plenty of time.

Something large and undulating whipped past his face and he had to duck to avoid the lizardsquirrel that had tried to use his face as a launch pad. He turned to glare at it, but did not get the chance. He must have made too much noise or something. The fishing girl had heard him.

While he'd been preoccupied for that split second, she had whipped around and flung cutting ice up towards him. Wan threw himself backwards off the branch, pushing air beneath him to keep himself aloft to the next branch. His flight was clumsy and the girl's second attempt to hit him was successful. Ice plastered itself to his arms and immobilized them. Without his arms, he dropped like a stone out of the air.

He shouted as the ground came up to meet him, grunting as he hit. The wind was knocked out of him and for a moment he laid there gasping like a beached whale. The fishing girl was over him, silhouetted against the sunshine through the trees.

"Hi," he croaked.

Her eyes widened to the size of dinner plates and in a second she was trying to break the ice off of his arms. "Oh jeez, I'm so sorry. I thought you were a spirit."

"Nope, sorry," Wan wheezed pathetically.

"Are you okay? Do you need a healer or something?"

"No, I'm alright. I've taken worse tumbles than that." He was smiling rather goofily at her. She was the first human he had seen since he had been to the earth turtle to get the element. That had been nearly two months ago. She was also beautiful. "I'm Wan."

She must have noticed something. Suddenly her eyebrow quirked up and slight smirk curled her lips. "I'm Ren."

He looked down at the ice around his arms. "Could you melt this for me?"

The smirk disappearing in the blink of an eye. She looked very ashamed all of a sudden. "I, um, don't know how." She was blushing brilliantly, no longer looking at Wan.

He felt ridiculous and a bit mean. He had embarrassed her. "Oh, don't worry about it. I'm sure it will melt eventually." He could try blowing it off, he supposed, but he did not want to scare her. Seeing the ability to use the other elements could sometimes freak people out. It was best to just keep it to himself. He smiled at her and she smiled timidly back.

She looked up into the tree that Wan had been in, then back at him. "Hey, what were you doing up there anyway?"

It was Wan's turn to look uncomfortable. "Oh, just picking some fruit," he hastily lied.

She quirked her eyebrow again. "That's not a fruit tree." Her deadpan could have killed a goathorse.

"Yes," Wan replied, thinking quickly. "That was why I was unsuccessful." He snapped his mouth shut, giving her a look as if he dared her to say anything.

Instead, she laughed. "You're not from around here, are you?"

"That obvious?"

"Considering you look like you've never heard of the sun before…"

"Hey, I'll have you know that I am very tan for my people."

"Really, and who are your people?"

He beamed at her. "I come from another turtle, far away. I've been traveling for a very long time."

She looked shocked, staring at him up and down as if he had revealed he was a spirit. "Another turtle?" she whispered.

Wan nodded enthusiastically. "Oh yeah, there are dozens of turtles in the world. I've only see a few, though."

She was quiet, staring at him for a long moment. "That is amazing," she breathed at last.

During their conversation, the ice had loosened somewhat and with a quick movement of his arms, snapped apart. With movement restored, Wan was able to brush the chunks off and rub warmth back into the numb skin.

"Why are you at our turtle?"

"Looking for supplies. There a few things I'll be needing."

"How long do you plan to stay?"

"Only a day. I have a friend waiting for me in the forests. She doesn't like cities so she stays behind."

"Is she from your turtle?"

"No, I met her in the wilds."

"Are there really people living off of the turtle? Uh, _turtles_?" she corrected. "Isn't that dangerous?"

Wan smiled patiently. Finally, someone to talk to that did not think his opinions and stories were prattle. He started up the path, Ren falling instep beside him once she had picked up her fish net again. "It is very dangerous. But if you know how to respect the spirits, then they will respect you. It isn't impossible."

"But so many people have been killed. They have never even done anything."

"Sometimes you just have to show the spirits that you aren't there to hurt them. They don't always listen because there are bad humans that wouldn't stop to think about who they are hurting."

"Is that why you left your turtle?"

"No," he laughed. "I was not so smart back then. But it was about bad people. I guess you could say I made enemies with the wrong people."

Ren frowned, concern in her eyes. "You were banished, weren't you?"

Wan shrugged. It was answer enough. He missed his home turtle. Not as much as he missed Aye-Aye and the other spirits at the oasis but he missed his human friends too. He missed playing Pai Sho with Jaya and getting into all those playful fights with the kids at the orphanage. To some extent he even missed those thrilling chases with the Chu brothers. If only they could see him now. He wasn't just some scrawny street rat anymore.

"Hello, earth to Wan. You still in there or do I need to dive in after you?"

"Hmm?" He looked at her, raising his eyebrows in confusion.

"You spaced out. Got kind of worried. Sorry if I touched on a bad subject."

"Oh, no. It's okay. I guess I just got a little homesick." He laughed a little, shrugging his shoulders. "What about you? You know stuff about me, now I want to know about you."

She looked a little embarrassed, blushing again. "Oh, I'm sure that I'm not nearly as interesting as you. I live with my mom, and I help the local fishermen. That's pretty much it."

"No boyfriend, or anything?"

She looked up at him coyly. "No…" she answered slowly.

Wan grinned. "Good, then no one will be jealous if I follow you around all day, right?"

She laughed. "Now aren't you a forward fellow." She was blushing despite her comment.

"Well, I guess I don't have to. I've just been so alone for so long." He feigned sadness, pouting heavily.

She scoffed. "You're cute. I suppose you could come along. But only if you help me with my shopping."

Wan was grinning again. "Deal. I have shopping of my own to do, anyway."

* * *

He liked the blue scarf. It wasn't exactly his favorite color, but it was soft and warm. It would do for the purpose he had in mind. He ran his fingers over the material, rubbing it against his face and lips and enjoying the feel of it.

He noticed Ren staring at him a moment later. He turned to look at her. "What?"

"You are so weird."

He laughed. "The best way to test out scarves is to rub it against your face."

She rolled her eyes. "You would look better in red."

"I think so too, but frankly, there isn't many people to see me in blue so I don't think it would matter. Besides, this one is warm."

She moved closer, grabbing the scarf from him and holding it up to examine the stitching. Without a word she folded it up and put it back on the stall counter. She waved to the merchant and dragged Wan away.

"What?"

"Po is jerk. He knows an inexperienced shopper when he sees them. He would have taken advantage of you. His scarves are nice but he would have made you way over pay for them. I know where we can find a red scarf for you."

"Really, because these vendors sure do like blue." Wan guessed it was the culture.

"Water is blue."

"And fire is red, but you could still find a green scarf at my home turtle without having to look very far."

She looked at him suddenly. "Fire?"

Oops. Again, he reminded himself that some people did not like the idea of the other elements being controlled. "Uh, yeah. My turtle gave fire."

Her eyes lit up, a small smile curving her lips uncontrollably. "You can control fire? You have to show me!"

She was being rather loud. Wan hushed her, looking around briefly to see that nobody had heard. "I uh, actually can control air."

There was a pause and Wan looked down at her. He could practically see the cogs working behind her eyes, trying to puzzle out how he came from a fire turtle but could control air. He did not want to tell her about the earth and water and Raava and the really any of it because it was a crazy story. There were rumors and legends somehow being spread that there was a man that could control all four elements. It was mostly among spirits but it was only a matter of time before it reached the turtles and then he knew that human companionship was going to be harder and harder to find. He did not want to be traveling around forever. As soon as Vaatu was defeated and Raava gone off to do her own thing, Wan was hoping to find another turtle to live the rest of his days on. He feared being too famous and his legend following him around. Especially with Raava gone and him only having one element again. People would expect him to have all this power that was never really his to begin with.

He sighed, deflating. Thinking of the future past Vaatu's defeat was almost as frightening at the impending battle with the dark spirit.

Ren must have seen the dark thoughts in his eyes. Wan was so distracted that he did not see her stepping so close to him until her hands were on his cheeks. "Wan?" She looked so concerned. Her eyes, so very blue and clear, looked so sad. "Are you okay? You went away again."

He focused on her face, her little dimple nose and round chin. He smiled because she was beautiful and he wished that he had more time to get to know her. He wanted someone to love and someone to love him in return. He could feel the spark in his chest as they locked eyes. His skin tingled where her hands rested on his face. He could fall in love with this woman. He felt that perhaps he already was.

He grabbed her hands, holding them in his. He rubbed the callus on her palm that he knew was from the fishing net. He wanted to kiss her. He wanted to feel her lips on his and cement in his mind that she was here and she was real and that for a moment, the future could wait. He leaned closer and she made no move to step away. They were so close. He could feel her breath, could almost feel her lips.

Something in the alley to their left crashed loudly, sending a waste bin rocketing into the street. It scared both them and the collection of pedestrians walking the noonday streets. The moment was broken. Ren was looking behind her at the entrance to the alley. He let her hands go, a familiar mixture of loneliness and sadness creeping over his skin like a sickness.

When she looked back at him, she had that same sadness in her eyes but there was no way to recapture the moment. It would have been awkward and silly now. It was better to just let it go.

Wan cleared his throat. "It's probably just some disgruntled spirit."

Ren nodded, taking a step away and not looking at his face. "Yeah. I hope no one got hurt." They were quiet for a moment. "Anyway, that red scarf. I have one. It's kind of old but it's stayed strong for a long time. We can finish our shopping and then go to my home for dinner. I can give it to you then."

Wan was honestly surprised. "I thought you were just going to take me to a vendor that happened to have red scarves. I can't take something of yours."

She smiled at him, the awkwardness finally being eased. "You aren't taking anything. I'm giving it to you."

She seemed so sure of her logic and of herself that Wan could not help but laugh. "Right. So, where to next, Miss Ren?"

* * *

It was nearly dark by the time that they finished their shopping. Wan had not had such a wonderful day since before he had left the oasis. Ren's house was a modest little building surrounded by others of nearly the same build. It was small on the inside but comfortable and warm. The walls had bits and pieces of their culture on it; feather laden warrior shields and busts of water spirits. Some of them he recognized, while others he knew were too old for him.

Ren's mother was kind old woman who made some of the best noodles that Wan had ever eaten. The three of them enjoyed a meal together, Wan sharing some stories of his adventures in the wilds. Ren's mother had a few stories of her own to tell, and the three them stayed around the fire long after the meal was done, simply telling stories. Some were sad, most were fun. All of them were interesting.

Ren had fallen asleep on his shoulder by the time he and the old woman finally exhausted themselves. There were so many stories to tell but the night had grown late.

The thought struck him like a bag of bricks. He paled visibly, feeling a curl of dread drop into his stomach. It was nearly morning. Raava was still waiting in the forest. He had promised her he would return by nightfall. Raava was not really capable of worry for him, but he knew that she would be more than a little irritated and would likely exact her revenge in some form or fashion.

The feeling of Ren at his side almost made him ignore the thought of Raava's revenge, but he knew that he better go before he dug his grave deeper. It was better that he not wait until morning. Raava would likely come looking for him and if she saw him delaying because of a girl, no matter how special Ren was, she would never let him live it down.

He thanked Ren's mother for the meal and for the wonderful evening.

"Thank you for making my daughter smile as you have," she replied.

He left in a hurry, trying not to wake the sleeping girl. He managed to make it out the door and nearly to the street when he heard her running after him. He turned in time to see her nearly collide into him, wrapping her arms around his neck, pressing her lips to his.

It was like an explosion of light and joy and heat raced through his whole body. He felt alive, like a deep humming that raced through his heart and across his skin. Her lips were soft and pliant and she tasted like flowers and the noodles they had had for dinner.

They broke the kiss and Wan could not help the fluttering laugh that bubbled up from his chest and spilled out like the rain. His arms were firmly around her waist and he held her close to him.

She was laughing too, her face a brilliant red. "Sorry, I guess I just got a little carried away. I didn't want you to disappear into the night."

His elation could not be dampened by his impending need to leave. "I have to go, Ren. I'm sorry. My friend will come looking for me if I don't return by morning."

She frowned, looking over his left shoulder. "I know." She wrapped a red scarf, worn and frayed but smelling of her around his neck before resting her head on his shoulder. "Come back soon, okay?"

He smiled. Yes, of course he would come back. "Tomorrow. Meet me at the fountain in the town center at noon." He would take her with him if he had to. He was sure that Raava would understand if stayed one more day.

She beamed. She kissed him on the cheek before finally letting him go. "I promise." With that she turned and walked back into her hut. He waited until she was gone from sight before he let the bubbling joy inside him escape.

It came bursting out into the air, swirling around him as leaves got caught up in it. It lifted him clear off the ground and had him fluttering down again, the leaves settling on his clothes and in his hair. He could not keep the grin away.

With his heart aflutter and a bounce in his step, he picked himself up and out of the city. He would have to placate Raava and convince her to let him stay an extra day but it would be worth her wrath if he got to see Ren again.

* * *

Finding Raava in the pre-dawn darkness was not a difficult task. She glowed, after all. He was picking his way through the trees and branches as carefully as he could. He did not want to disturb her. He did not think that she actually slept in the same sense that humans did, but he knew that when she meditated she was not exactly aware of her surroundings.

He was not even out of the trees yet when he saw her move. She turned and rose off the ground in one movement, turning to face him and tower over him all at once. He braced himself for a volley of questions, already coming up with the necessary lies to try and placate the spirit.

Instead she asked, her voice low and frightening, "Did you have fun wasting time with that girl?"

All of his excused were thrown out the window, leaving Wan with nothing but his silence to gape up at Raava with. "Oh, you saw that, did you?"

"Did you at least get the things you needed?"

"Oh, uh, yes. I did."

"Good, then we can leave now."

Wan baulked. "W-wait! Can't we stay another day?"

She was doing a wonderful job of keeping her anger in check but Wan could feel it raging inside her like waves of energy clawing to be released. "Why?" Her voice was quiet and deadly and Wan could feel the goose bumps racing up his arms.

"So that we can…" He trailed away. He did not actually have an excuse anymore. There was no logical reason to go into the city except to go see Ren again. So, instead of lying, he decided that he was going to try telling the truth. Raava of all spirit should be promoting love and peace, after all. "So that I can go see Ren again." He was impressed with the strength of his own voice. He let his conviction be fed by his desire, feeling that he was more and more right in asking for this than he had been at any other time.

Raava twitched backwards, pausing as if struck by his forwardness. "You wish to waste another day, a day that we could be spending traveling or practicing, so that could feed a selfish desire? The harmonic convergence is in two months. We don't have time for you to have a romance with some random girl you meet in the wilds."

"She isn't some random girl, Raava. She's—"

"I don't care!" she thundered, scaring Wan into silence. "You are working so hard to prove to me that humans are not self-serving and egotistical, and just when I begin to think that I was wrong and you were right, you go off and pull things like this. I saw you today, boy. You humans have only loyalty to your own desire to reproduce."

"_I'm_ being self-serving!?" he yelled, not caring if the whole forest could hear their argument. His heart felt like it was about to explode. He just wanted one more day to not be so damn _lonely_. Was that so much to ask for? "I just want one more day, that's all. And here you are pushing me around like you own me!"

"I _do_ own you! This is your fault! You are the one that split me from Vaatu. You are the one that begged for a second chance. I have given you one and now you wish to squander it. The fate of the world is on your shoulders because _you_ put it there. Do not complain to me that you cannot handle the weight. By taking this task you have cursed yourself to this fate. This is solitary road that you walk now and no matter how many days you spend denying it, _you will always be alone_!"

They had slowly gotten closer and closer to each other throughout the yelling, to where her diamond nearly brushed his nose. Wan was the first to step away, to back down. Sadness swept over him like a black blanket. His heart felt shriveled and beaten in his chest. He could barely breathe. All the joy he had felt during the day was like a distant memory; still sweet, but bitter in its loss.

Raava had deflated. Her bands that had been whipping around her angrily were now calm. They reached forward as if she wanted to touch him. "Wan…" she sounded almost apologetic, but Wan figured that he was just imagining it.

"You're right," he said after a moment. "I'm sorry, Raava."

This was his fault, and he was being selfish for thinking that spending a day would affect him alone. The whole world was resting on his shoulders. He did not have time to be selfish. The magnitude of his task came crashing into him as it did nearly every morning the moment he woke up and nearly every night as he fell asleep. The weight was heavy and it felt like it was trying to tug his whole body down to be swallowed by the earth.

Ren would be angry with him. He would simply disappear from her life after promising to stay. When he came to find her after Vaatu's defeat, without Raava there to stop him, it would take quite a bit of convincing to get her to forgive him. He would tell her the truth. She would know everything. She would understand that he needed to move on when he desperately wanted to stay.

Raava was silent at he tied Mula's pack onto her rump. The poor catdeer had been eyeing them as if she expected them to explode. She nudged his back as if to reassure him that everything was going to be okay. He wished that he could believe her. He felt that by leaving now he was going to lose a part of himself forever.

He mounted her, not looking at Raava. He could not bring himself to look at anything expect the fawn fur on Mula's neck.

"That is a nice scarf," Raava spoke at last as Wan directed Mula to the road away from the turtle. She seemed to grasping for something to say, anything that could ease the tension that was suddenly between them as dangerous as crackling lightning with nowhere to go.

"Thank you."

She came abreast with him, keeping pace and for once not venturing ahead. "We will passing near another turtle on our way north. A fire turtle."

"I know. It was the one I grew up on."

"Oh," she said like she had already known that. "Well, perhaps you might find time to see some old friends before we set off to cross the ocean."

"I'm not allowed on that turtle ever again."

"I can't imagine why." Any other day her sardonic tone would have made Wan laugh, but today it only seemed to make his feel worse.

"Because I have a tendency to mess up wherever I go, remember?" The words came out harsher than he had intended. He was not really angry with Raava anymore. His anger was more directed inward. Despite himself, he felt that he could not be near the light spirit at the moment. He refused to let her see him in such a weak state. He urged Mula forward. The catdeer had been idle nearly all day and the chance to stretch her legs and run was too much for her to deny. Not to mention the negative emotions that flared between Raava and Wan like wild flames. She lurched forward without Wan needing to ask twice. He leaned against her neck, burying his face in her soft fur and letting her rhythm sooth his breaking heart.

* * *

Ren reached the fountain with time to spare. Her mother had cooked some of the fish she had brought home yesterday, smoking it so that it would keep for a long time. She knew that Wan was not going to stay for very long. Souls like his did not like to stay in more than one place for very long.

Perhaps he would take her with him. She had brought a bag of things in hopes that he would ask. Her mother knew that was her intention. She had not even asked for the fish.

Ever since she had kissed him, she could not get him out of her mind. He was handsome, charming, mysterious, and so free. She yearned to have his level of liberation. To go where she pleased, to be whoever she wanted.

He talked about the spirits and how some of them were so kind and if only people respected them they could make some of the best friends. He had told that the separation was only an illusion that people seemed to live in. That was why there was so much fighting. If humans just did away with the illusion then they could all live in peace. She wanted to learn to live with spirits.

Her heart was aflutter, like a tiny bird in her chest. She smiled at all the people that passed her by, greeting them like they were her best friends. She would not see these people for a very long time but that did not seem to dampen her spirits.

But noon came and went and Wan never appeared. The bustle in the market came and went and slowly her smile faded.

The sun had disappeared behind the building and the last of the vendors was finishing packing their wares away for the night. A merchant with a basket under his arm stopped as he passed her. She was still sitting on the fountain wall, her head bowed.

"He must be a very important man that you would wait all day for him."

She looked up, feeling the need to defend Wan, and her feelings for him. "He is."

The man smiled sadly and walked away.

She went home shortly after. Then next day she returned to the fountain. When he still did not come, she returned again the day after.

On the fifth night the merchant stopped on his way home. "You are still waiting?"

She did not look at him, she was too ashamed. She had been duped by a man who she thought was perfect. The memory of his lips on hers was like poison now. "No, not anymore," she replied in a daze. She went home and did not return to the fountain the next day, nor any days hence.


	4. Emotions

It was getting cold, especially at night. Wan was sitting against Mula, wrapped up in a blanket, but he still managed to look cold. His breath came out in little puffs of air that Raava could see in the firelight. He was glaring at the flames like it had committed a grave offense against him.

It had been three days since they had left the water turtle and Wan had said no more than three words to her. He would not even look at her. She had broken down to trying to start up conversation, but Wan seemed disinclined to speak to her.

It was hard for her to pinpoint his emotions. She knew enough to realize that he was angry, but he did not seem to be angry at any particular thing. He would not speak to her, but neither would he play with Mula. He did things with more force than necessary, like make fire with flames that seemed to hit the edges of his control. His water was cutting shards, his air were disks that could cut trees in half, his fire was large and hot, and even his earth seemed sharper, heavier. Anger was in every line of his body and churned in his aura like a bruise. Everything he did was short, sharp, precise, and nothing like the usual warmth and kindness that seemed to follow him around.

Raava would be lying if she said she did not miss it. She would also be lying is she said she was not concerned.

"Should we train tomorrow?" she asked quietly.

Wan shrugged, giving her no answer past that.

"We have been traveling for three days. You rest yourself and we can practice in the afternoon."

Wan did not reply. He stared into the flames. His expression had changed since she had started speaking. Less angry now, more sad. She really disliked it when he was like this.

"Are you ill?"

He looked at her, not completely paying attention. He finally met her gaze, or rather he actually looked directly at her diamond instead of some other part of her form. He raised his eyebrows in question, a silent request for her to repeat herself. His eyes never lost that tense anger but she felt that it was not entirely directed at her.

"I asked if you were ill. We can just rest tomorrow, if you want."

He waved her away, shaking his negative. "We'll train," he replied. His voice was quiet and it was not lost of Raava that he did not answer the question of his health.

"But if you are ill, then you should rest."

"I'm fine."

"Are you angry with me?"

"No."

"You seem angry."

"I'm not."

There were lines on his face that were not there normally. His eyes were clouded and dark, he had shadows beneath them like bruises. "I believe you are ill."

He shook his head again, starring into the fire.

Raava moved closer, humming slightly as she called on her energies. Wan looked up at her in alarm, moving slightly away. "What are you doing?"

"If you are ill, then I would like to know how serious it is."

Confusion flittered across his face but she relished that it was the first non-negative expression he had had for days. "How?"

"I am the spirit of Light, Wan," she explained carefully. He glared at the implications that she thought he was stupid. She was quick to clarify with a bit of information that she did not think he knew. "I can correct negative energy in spirits and to some extent humans. Negative energy is sickness and injury."

He seemed to absorb that information for a second, before his eyes fell away from her and to the fire. "You can't help me. I will be fine." His anger was replaced by a sudden sadness that left the spirit both confused and terribly discouraged.

"It would seem that perhaps you are not ill physically, but emotionally. I might be able to fix that too."

The anger was back in a flash and Raava made note of how quickly it fluctuated. "I don't need to be fixed, thanks," he spat, his shoulder bunching as he took offense.

She knew she had to tread carefully. Human emotions were delicate and easily manipulated. If she said the wrong thing, she would only anger him more. "Perhaps not fixed then, but helped. If you'd just accept my help, perhaps I can find out what is wrong."

"Oh for spirit's sake, Raava! I'm fine," he burst out, making Mula raise her head. She looked between human and spirit as if preparing herself for another fight. He glared at Raava briefly before bowing his head, letting his fingers prop up his forehead and his arms shield his face from view.

Raava knew hiding when she saw it. She was still learning the careful complexity of human emotions and how they expressed it, but she did know that when humans hid something, they had a tendency to hide themselves as well. Raava realized that Wan knew exactly what was wrong with him. He knew and he was trying to hide it. He usually did a better job than that so either he was being passive aggressive and trying to get it to bug her too, or it was so bad that he simply could not help it. So what was is that Wan was trying to hide? Was he sick and just being stubborn about it? Had he been hurt and not told her? Was he angry at her for yelling at him the other day? Was he angry for another reason? Why did he look so tired? Why was his sleep so restless (because she had noticed that, too)? What bothered him so much that he refused to speak about it?

Wan was not usually a reclusive person. If he had a problem, he usually told her about it. It made their unlikely partnership a little easier. He was forward and when there was an issue he was not afraid to admit it. He was incredibly clever for a human, and it made her respect him. He knew how to get things done, even if he sometimes divulged into time wasting.

She supposed what she had said the other day had been a bit harsh. She knew that humans needed companionship and friends in ways that most spirits simply could not understand. Why else was he always so excited about finding a city? Perhaps spending another day in the city would not have hurt anything. But at the same time, Wan really did not have room for such internal thoughts. The whole world was on his shoulders and he did not have the time to slack off. Every day wasted was a day not spent preparing. What if that one extra day to practice could mean the difference between winning against Vaatu and losing? She knew that Wan was confident in his abilities, not because he was arrogant, but because he was optimistic. She knew that he did not believe himself ready, even though he would often speak of what they would do once Vaatu was defeated. He was being hopeful because that was just who he was.

There were times when she wished that Wan was a spirit because she felt like it was a terrible injustice that a soul as strong as his was housed in such a mortal body. Imagine what he could do with the power of a spirit at his fingertips.

She chased her thoughts away. Now was not the time to be wishing. She had a wayward human to figure out.

One of her bands came forward to wrap around his wrist. She tugged gently in hopes of getting him to uncurl. His reaction was decidedly violent.

"Don't touch me!" he shouted, grabbing the band and yanking down and back so that she was forced to let go. He tossed it away as if it burned him. The force of his glare was enough to hurt her, so much rage that churned behind his eyes. She had the impulse to soothe it away, and not just because she was the spirit of Light and her job was to resolve anger and conflict, but because this was Wan and he was her friend.

Raava was not prepared to admit it, because she did not admit to such things, but she had grown rather fond of Wan. He was her human, and she felt a responsibility to take care of him. It went beyond that, though. She had spent so long with Vaatu always at her side, always darkness beside her, that having Wan there was like a burning fire in the night. She had always had that negativity so close. Wan was nothing like Vaatu. He was hope and strength and determination and she would be damned if she lost him.

"Wan, I cannot help you if you do not let me."

"What if I don't want your help?" His voice was loud and sharp but rough with so many emotions. She wished she could understand. She wished she could feel as he did, so that she might have some clue how to fix it. He stood, waving his arms at her dismissively. "Just leave me alone."

He walked several paces away before Raava had gotten a hold of herself. No! She refused to let him hide away from whatever it was that was hurting him. If she was going to fix it, she would have to pry it from him.

She rose off the ground, surging forward. She let her own fury carry her, let it wash away any hesitation. Now was not a time to falter. The surge of energy when their souls merged was always a rush, like an icy fire, cold and hot, that crashed through their hearts and down their limbs. It was beautiful, it was overwhelming, it was the biggest thrill she ever felt.

His soul was so strong when it wound around hers, tethers of light that grappled and snapped all in a heartbeat. But she stopped; she did not rush through and leave in a breath. No, she waited, let his soul and hers become one for more than a single instant. She let his emotions rush through her. She had been terrified to do this before, but now she welcomed it like a cure to an age old disease.

She nearly regretted it.

The rush was like all the other times they merged for that brief moment when they exchanged elements, but it was different. She could feel him as she never had before. The rush was bitter, threatening to swallow everything. It was sharp and sour that distorted the world. She could hear laughter and it sounded like Vaatu. She could hear crying and it sounded like Ren. Someone was screaming and it was filled with a blinding red haze that felt like poison.

Voices and sensations, noises, smells, and tastes all collided at once. She could feel soft fur beneath fingertips, the sting of tears in the eyes, a lump that could not be swallowed past. She could feel a flutter in her chest, like a baby bird wanting to fly. Violent and suppressing, crushed beneath a weight so heavy. Lungs screaming for air, voices choking and struggling to be heard.

The elements, all of them in a swirl of power like nothing ever felt before. Agony that threatened to consume and an impending darkness that clawed at the edges.

She felt that something was wrong. She was so caught up in the swirl of emotions and sensations she could not see the outside. She reached out, feeling Wan stumble. His legs were rubber beneath him, his knees hurt where they collided with the earth. His heart felt as if it were going to burst. There was agony, like a fire across his skin that ate away at his mind. A darkness and fear that was bitter and sweet and terrifying settled across him.

She was hurting him.

His soul was still grappling hers and although it was strong she could feel it waning. The tendrils of light that linked them snapped more often than they connected. She unwound from him, leaving his body in a burst of light that left her shaken to her core.

The sensations were still there, running trails across her form. Sorrow was bitter, fear was sour. Rage was something entirely foreign, something she never wanted to feel again. How can one mortal being contain so many emotions and sensations and not burst?

She gathered herself, needing to shut out the world for a moment before she could face what it was that she had discovered. She would need time to analyze all of it and find the source of his negative emotions. She turned, preparing herself for questions and accusations.

Wan was slumped on the ground, curling in on himself as if he hoped to protect himself from something. His face was a picture of agony. His hand clutched at the cloth over her heart. He groaned, curling tighter.

Horror drained all the color from the world. She had stayed bound to him for too long. She had hurt him. There was nothing in her mind except the human curled in agony on the ground and the swirl of bruising guilt that washed through her. Echoes of their connection still raced through her. She could almost hear Wan yelling in agony, could almost hear Vaatu laughing at her.

She needed to move quickly. She needed to help him. She needed to soothe that pain from his face because this was her fault and Wan worked so hard to fix his mistakes that he should not have to suffer for hers. She had healing powers. They were weak and rarely used and not nearly as strong of a spirit oasis but they would do in a pinch. She moved forward, intending to wrap him up in her light and quiet the pain raging inside him.

Mula bounded over Wan's prone body, taking vicious swipes at Raava's bands. She gave a mighty growl and hiss and Raava could understand the message clear enough. _You hurt him and now you are not allowed to touch him._

Something was taut and straining in her core. Like an emotion that she did not understand, another left over sensation. Guilt? Pain? It certainly hurt. She wanted to cry, which in retrospect was odd because she physically could not express emotion that way.

"Mula, please. I can help him." She did not beg. She never begged. She did not plead, especially with an animal. Right now, however, her pride could take a hike. "Please, let me help him."

The catdeer was having none of it. Her claws dug into the earth, her teeth gleamed in the distant light of the fire, eyes were alight with rage. She stood over Wan like she was a mother protecting her cubs.

Raava moved away. She knew that it was no use. She could overtake Mula if she wanted to. She was the spirit of Light, and Mula was only a catdeer. But she had done enough damage as it was. Mula watched her back away, still with that vicious look in her eye. She watched Raava as if she was the enemy, waiting for her to attack again. Every muscle beneath her fur was rigid and set like a spring ready to be released.

Raava circled slightly, in hopes that perhaps the catdeer would not shift to follow her. The brilliant green eyes never left her, even when Wan made another noise of pain. Mula's eyes flicked down for the briefest of seconds, but were on Raava again before the spirit could even think to move. She prowled over her human, never letting him out from under her.

Wan had curled into a tight ball beneath her. He would twitch, groan, a grimace would flitter across his features, his hands would fist as the aftershocks wracked his body in agony. Raava wanted to help. Mula would not let her.

The standoff lasted for a good minute before Mula finally moved. She shifted her body to lie next to her human, curling her frame protectively around his. Raava tried to move towards them, but the snarl returned to Mula in an instant. Her ears pinned and her teeth gleaming. She did not look like the docile catdeer that Wan rode around on. She looked like a feral beast, with her wild eyes and angry swipes.

Raava kept her distance, folding in on herself in shame. She watched carefully. Wan would tense as the residual energies raced through his body. His face would contort in pain and he would curl tighter still. Mula would lick his face and snarl at Raava if she so much as twitched.

The next hour went by agonizingly slow.

Wan's breath was becoming more labored at time went on. Little puffs of warm air escaped his shivering lips and his whole body was wracked with pain and cold.

It had been brewing inside Raava since she had resigned herself to her vigil. A horrid swirl of emotions that echoed through her whole being. It was like they had all been behind a dam and her merging with such an emotional creature had broken it down. She could feel her own emotions now in such sharp, terrifying contrast.

It was red and black like Vaatu and she hated it. She hated the world and all its cruelty. She hated Vaatu because she could never escape him. She hated Wan for being such a stubborn fool. She hated herself for hurting him.

Bitterness swept through her like an ancient exhaustion. If she lost Wan because of her own stupid mistakes, then she would lose the whole world. How would she ever defeat Vaatu? She stood no chance without Wan.

Despite all of that, the plain and simple truth was that the thought of losing Wan, forever—She did not want to think about it. That light and courage and bravery would be lost forever. There would never be another like him and for him to die would be a great tragedy. It made Raava angrier to think that she could watch him breathe his last, she would see the life drain from him, and it would entirely her fault.

Mula was resting her head across Wan's body, draping herself protectively over him. She had been watching Raava with vigilant eyes, but the anger had calmed.

Raava's anger was not so quiet. It boiled inside of her and threatened to crest out. She had to mentally count down in her head to keep herself calm.

Mula growled low and quiet in warning and it took Raava a moment to realize that it was because her bands had been whipping angrily about her in her increased agitation. She settled close to the ground again, defeated. She apologized quietly and nearly felt ridiculous for saying she was sorry to an animal. Then again, Mula was not your normal catdeer.

"I can help him, if you would only let me."

Mula only growled in response.

"I have healing powers." She paused, finding this a little ridiculous, having to explain herself to a mortal animal. She sighed, slumping in defeat and guilt, like it was dragging her toward the earth. "I just wanted to understand him. I did not mean to hurt him." She had not known that her voice was capable of cracking, so she was nearly surprised when it did. Nearly, being as she was trying to reign in her emotions. "I'm so sorry, Mula. I'm sorry, Wan. I just wanted to help…" It somehow made her feel both better and worse for admitting her shame.

She could not stop staring at Mula, as if waiting for the catdeer to do something. There was something different in the green eyes. Perhaps it was forgiveness? Understanding? Whatever it was, it was a signal.

Raava glided forward carefully, slowly. Mula watched her with wariness, but made no movement that was hostile. It was agonizingly slow because Raava wanted to rush to her human and scoop him up and soothe away all the pain. But Mula's trust, and in accordance, Wan's as well, had to be regained.

She let her bands rest on his shoulder and while Mula eyed her, she did nothing to stop the spirit. She let her energy extend through him, finding and cradling his fluttering life force. It was not as dramatic as soul merging, nor as effective, but it had its usefulness. She could feel his energies raging a painful battle inside him with the residuals of her own. Hers was far more powerful and so Wan was losing the battle. It was like an illness, slowly killing him from the inside.

She almost let her guilt consume her again, but she knew that she needed to remain calm and her thoughts needed to be bright and pure if she wanted to help him. She could save him and that was all that mattered.

She scooped him up into her bands, letting his body rest against hers. Her tail flipped out in front of her and she suspended herself in the air like a giant glowing hammock with a human embraced inside. He stirred slightly at the movement, pain fluttering weakly across the half bond they shared when she touched him.

"Raava…" he whispered and there was relief in his voice. Like a flood of cool water that rushed through her, it brought peace to her soul that she was not expecting.

She hummed as her energies subtly went to work fixing the wrongs she had done.

* * *

She had fallen into a deep meditation, concentrating her entire conscious on the human embraced carefully in her bands. She could still feel his emotions through the weak bond, but they were not nearly as dramatic as the merging had been. She could easily differentiate between his feelings and hers.

It was still disconcerting when she would be working to repair the damage done to his body, working the energies to flow through paths that would not hurt him while healing the wounds that had been created, and suddenly a trickle of fear, like a sour taste, would invade her mind. At first she had ignored it. Humans dreamed and sometimes it was frightening things.

But then she could have sworn she saw Vaatu, heard him, could feel his rage and the fear that followed him and it nearly jerked her back to the real world. It took her a moment to realize that it was a dream. Wan was dreaming of Vaatu and Raava really was not sure how she felt about that.

She found the source and washed it away with a finality that struck even her as a bit odd. She was not usually so aggressive, but Vaatu had no place here.

It was like suddenly half of Wan's chi paths opened in a flood of energy and light and goodness. Fear, Raava realized, could hurt so much more than any other emotion. Fear was crippling if given enough hold.

It opened up a few pathways for her send the energy down, and new emotions popped up like flowers blooming in the spring. These were better emotions, neither bitter nor sour, nor that haze like red that Raava had come to know as anger.

There was sweetness, and the taste of noodles, and electricity and laughter and Raava knew that Wan now dreamed of Ren. She let his mind be and concentrated on his chi paths instead, finding a small trickle of satisfaction in her that had nothing to do with Wan.

* * *

Some time passed and she felt him stir. She came out of her own meditation so that she could greet him. She broke off the connection with his energies, feeling the seeping of his emotions fade away like water running off a smooth surface.

It was daylight, nearly noon. The world was alive with life around them and Raava could not help but feel content and at peace for once. It was like the pressing urgency of the Harmonic Convergence had left her for the moment. She was happy to rest and let Wan rest with her. Everything would be alright.

She almost laughed because she realized that while she had been influencing Wan emotions, he too had been moving hers. It had been a while since she had felt so much hope and it was a breath of fresh air.

Wan shifted against her, his arms coming up to shield his face from the sunlight and his hands rubbing his face. He moved to sit up, but Raava kept him down and pressed to her. She was not ready to let him go just yet. He was healed, he would survive, but there were still emotions that needed to be sorted through. While the fear she now understood at least partially, she did not completely understand the sorrow or the rage and she wanted to know where they came from before she let him slip away again. He was calm and probably feeling better than he had in a while and she wanted to take advantage of his good mood.

He seemed mildly alarmed for a moment but calmed again in only a second. He looked up at her diamond, then at her bands where they hovered over him like a loose cocoon. He had an odd expression on his face. She could feel his curiosity without the bond. All she needed was to look at his face as he took in his situation.

"What did you do?" he finally decided on asking.

"We merged for more than the second it requires to exchange elements. I wanted to feel your emotions since you would not tell me what they were."

He nodded, accepting that information with a sort of struck confusion. "Did you see what happened?"

"You are angry and I am not sure why, as well as sad. You are afraid because of—"

"No, I mean did you see the elements?"

"I was preoccupied. Humans are incredibly emotional creatures."

He grinned, slowly and mischievously. "Oh Raava, you would not believe it but it makes total sense! When we merged like that I could control all four elements at once. It was… terrifying, and exhilarating. But it hurt a little. Then it hurt a lot."

"I'm sorry, Wan. I was inside of you for too long." She could feel that guilt from last night again, but it was thankfully not nearly as acute.

"I know," he replied with that solid kind of wisdom that he sometimes had. "We have to try it again, but next time you won't stay in so long."

"I'm not sure I want a next time."

"No, Raava, this could help us defeat Vaatu. I want to practice with that sometime. We could use it. Having that much power at my fingertips; Vaatu wouldn't stand a chance!" He had over excited himself, moving in such a way the twisted his core. He winced falling into Raava embrace further.

She almost wanted to scold him, but could not find fault in his enthusiasm, no matter how she felt about the subject. "You will be alright," she soothed quietly, humming again as she tried to find the source of his pain.

"Yeah, I know," he said and the amount of pure trust that radiated out from his words shocked Raava into stillness.

She had just hurt him but he still trusted her. It seemed to wash away the guilt that had risen again. For some reason, she knew that she did not have to make it up to him. Wan was simply not that kind of person. He had forgiven her for whatever wrong she had thought this had been. It left her at peace.

"As far as my emotions go," he said after a minute, shaking Raava from her reverie, "we'll talk about those later." The way he said it told Raava that he had a bone to pick with her, but that he did not seem nearly so angry.

He relaxed into her and she let her energies go back to work. She felt his mind drift away and reconnect with hers and she almost laughed at the thought that her humming was putting him to sleep. Then she sobered when she really thought about it. He was tired and had been through an ordeal. He had not slept well in several days and had been traveling relentlessly in between. He deserved his rest and they would talk later.

She eased into a meditative state as he fell asleep, and that was how they spent the rest of the day, healing and recuperating.

* * *

_Afterward: These aren't really oneshots anymore, are they? I'm making an actual effort to keep them in chronological order, too. So I guess this is a story now. But it doesn't really have an end yet. And each chapter is relatively stand-alone. But whatever._

_I would like to mention that this story is not an official Waava fic. I am personally very conflicted on their relationship, but I don't think it is romantic. I know this probably just scared a bunch of people off, but I think that this story is pretty open to interruption. Even if it was Waava, it wouldn't be very prominent, simply because my romance is often kind of fucked up._

_Anyway, thank you to everyone that reviewed. I really appreciate all of the comments. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter._


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